When Tabor Academy Headmaster Jay Stroud thinks of coach G. Richard Duffy he said he thinks of the sign on “Duff’s” desk, “Tough things don’t last, tough people do.”

For Stroud, this phrase best describes the Tabor alum from the class of 1956 and the history teacher who first joined Tabor in 1969 and has been a “valued” faculty member ever since.

For this reason, Stroud said, it was decided by the school to dedicate their new athletic field to Duff, as he is commonly called.

“Duff is, in the simplest word, unique,” Stroud said. “He is always himself. This school was never designed to make its people all the same, just to make them reliable. Duff is.”

In addition to his work in the classroom, Duff has also been the coach for Tabor’s junior varsity football, baseball and squash teams.

One of the designers for the new turf fields, John Fish, CEO of Suffolk Construction, is also a Tabor alumni.  During the dedication ceremony on Nov. 12, Fish remembered his time on Duff’s football team. Fish said that Duff was always within earshot of his team and the referees ready to say it all and push his players to their full potential.

Duff took to the podium soon after and offered his many thank-you’s to the school and to all of the people who pushed for his dedication.

“I can hardly wait for spring when the baseball team takes to the field and the first pitch of the game will be played on “Duff’s field”,” he said. “Remember: Play hard, play fair and win the day.”

The dedication of the athletic fields comes after months of back-and-forth feuding between Tabor and town residents. In June, 100 residents signed a petition against the building project citing concerns with the size of the fields, the four 90-ft light towers that were going to be installed and the use of artificial turf.

Tabor received a cease-and-desist order from the town’s Building Commissioner on June 30, which stated that the project had to be halted due to zoning law violations. Tabor appealed the decision with the Marion Board of Selectmen, which voted to rescind the school’s permit.

However, Tabor was denied the right to build the proposed 90-ft light towers.